HIRAM’S POV:
After dinner, June and I settle in her room while Rhea stays in the guest room. I expect her to follow the usual routine of staying up almost the entire night, keeping me awake too, but before I can tell, she is sleeping peacefully in my arms.
I remain like that, watching the rise and fall of her chest with a gentle snore accompanying it. While she sleeps, I try to sleep too. I shut my eyes, patting her hair gently, but even as I close my eyes, I find it difficult to drift off to sleep.
After a while, I push her head away gently, then I place it on the pillow, planting a kiss on her head before I stand up. My steps are quiet in order not to wake her. I leave the room, heading for the front door to get some fresh air, but the moment I step out of the hallway, I spot Milo sitting in the living room with his gaze fixed on the television.
“Hey, buddy,” I say to him, and he falls head down on the couch at once.
“I’m not watching anything. I swear I’m sleeping,” he says, causing a brief chuckle to escape my lips as I walk toward him.
I place my hands on the back of the couch and lean in, staring at him as he pretends to sleep. After a while, he opens his eyes slightly.
“I’m not going to tell on you.” He opens his eyes fully as I say this, then he sits up, and I sit close to him.
For a moment, we sit there quietly as he watches the cartoon on TV while a thousand thoughts swirl around my mind. Each passing day brings us closer to June’s due date.
“Are you the reason June is having a baby?” He casually throws the question at me, tilting his head slightly, and I nod.
We go silent again.
“So when the baby comes, she’ll forget about me?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“How do you know that? She hasn’t come to see me in a long time, and it’s because she loves you now.” I inhale sharply, turning to him.
“It doesn’t work like that, Milo. I have four siblings, and I love them. I love June too, and that is the same way she loves you, Nelly, and Rhea.” He stares at me like my words don’t make sense.
“Do you know what’s in here?” I ask, placing my hand on the left part of my chest, and he does the same with his.
“My heart?” he questions, and I nod.
“It is big enough to contain a lot of people. There is no limit to the number of people you can love, and you are capable of loving a lot.” I pause. “I learned it from your sister. She has a big heart.” A smile spreads across his lips when I say this.
We go silent again, and he faces the TV.
“You make my sister happy, and she mentions you every time she calls Mum.” He doesn’t look at me when he says this, but it makes me feel like a kid again, yearning for love and approval from someone.
**
“Look who is learning to be a father.” My eyes flick open as I hear June’s voice.
I see her standing in front of me with her arms crossed, then I look down to see Milo lying on the couch with his head on my lap. I cannot remember how we fell asleep.
“June.” Her name leaves my mouth at once as I try to pull myself back to consciousness.
Nelly walks into the living room at once.
“God, Milo!” she exclaims, walking towards us. She pulls him up, lifting him in her arms.
He stirs a bit, then continues sleeping. Nelly walks away at once, then June sits close to me.
“How did you sleep?” I ask, and she leans in to kiss my cheek.
“Like a baby. The soup was an antidote, and I feel less cranky. I told you my mother would have a cure,” she says, and I nod.
Nelly walks out of the hallway, and we exchange greetings briefly.
“Hiram, I am so sorry if he disrupted-”
“It’s okay. I had a fun chat with the little guy last night, and I think we are past being enemies.”
Her mouth hangs open for a second, then she lets out an “oh.”
She tucks the loose strands of her hair behind her ear.
“I’ll go start breakfast then,” she says, then she walks to the kitchen.
“And I think I need to have some rest.” June’s brows crease slightly when I say this. “Or not.” Her lips curve, and she places her hand on my left cheek, attempting to pull it down, so I lean in, resting my head on her lap.
Her body is soft and warm. I wrap my hands around her, placing a kiss on her belly, then I shut my eyes as she slides her hand into my hair, caressing it gently. My leg is practically hanging off the couch, but this feels more comfortable than sleeping on a bed.
My ear is on her lower abdomen, and I can swear I can pick up a pulse from the baby. Suddenly, I feel all my worries fade away, and there is a lot of faith in my chest, making me feel positive about the birth of the baby.
“June, your mum’s house is so-” Rhea’s voice trails off.
“Shh. He is trying to get some rest,” June silences her, and she goes mute.
“…. Comfortable.” She finishes her sentence in a whisper.
I can feel her staring at me, probably with a smile on her lips.
“Wow, who knew men with a heart of stone could be babied. It’s like Voldemort having a heart, unbelievable,” she says in a low tone.
“Heard that,” I reply, adjusting my body a bit with my hands still clutching June’s body desperately.
**
The day slowly turns to evening, and just like that, the weekend is over. Tonight, I find it difficult to sleep again, and after moments of watching June sleep, I sneak out again. This time, I do not see Milo in the living room, and I notice the back door is slightly open.
I walk towards it, opening it to see Nelly sitting on the pavement with a drink in hand.
“I put the kid to sleep because he has to prepare for school tomorrow,” she says, then tilts her head back. “Care to join me?” she asks, putting out her bottle of beer.
“Thank you,” I say to her, then I sit beside her, staring into the night sky as I listen to the chirping of crickets.
“This is the happiest I have seen June since her father passed.” Nelly breaks the silence, glancing at me. “It hasn’t been easy, taking care of a teenager and a child. I had her very young at eighteen, and we were so close, so when all the boy problems started, it was too much. At a point, I thought I was losing June. I didn’t want her to have a boyfriend. But she chose Cillian, and I knew in my heart that he would break her heart. Boys like Cillian.” She clicks her tongue. “They are not worth it, but she wouldn’t listen. When it happened, I was there for her.” She drinks from the bottle of beer.
“When she told me about you, I was pissed as hell. We didn’t speak for a while, and it made me feel terrible because I felt she was with you because you paid her rent and offered her a couple of other things. I thought I had lost my daughter. I was relieved when I knew it was a mate bond, and I know she is in excellent hands,” she says, bringing the bottle to her lips again.
“Saying I love Juniper isn’t enough, and it might be the mate bond, but I want nothing more than to care for her. Since I knew she was pregnant, I barely sleep because all I can think of is ensuring she has a safe delivery, and I swear on my life I will do everything in my power to make sure it works.”
“Thank you,” she says, reaching for my hand. Then she withdraws slightly. “When do you plan to marry her?” Her question comes at me unexpectedly.
I clear my throat, rubbing the back of my head.
“Actually, we are married.” Her eyes narrow at once. “Like two months ago, and there is a marriage certificate.”
“What?”
“It was a drunken mistake, and it was in Vegas. We have decided to call it a thing for now, but I plan to wed her traditionally at the pack during this break. Once school closes,” I say to her, and she holds her chest in relief. “I would also love to get an actual wedding in Vegas if June will agree, but she believes I throw a lot of money unnecessarily.”
“That one is on me. I used to say that to her father back then.” She says, then she empties her bottle of beer. “You are a good man, Hiram, and I am happy my daughter gets to have a good life.”
With this, she gets to her feet.
“You’ll be driving back tomorrow, so I think you should get some rest.”